Someone Like Me
by DamselOnDrums
Summary: Secretly Kris had always wanted a little sister, or someone she could at least relate to. What she didn't realize was that it's not always easy to get along with someone who's practically you carbon copy./or when girls go to Raintree from Camp LaGrange.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi. I'm Taylor, if you hadn't gathered. I've watched this show since I was in the fifth grade with my friend Nicole (not really my friend now, butttt whatever). I've loved horses for even longer, so if that tells you anything at all. This was just some whimsical little plot that was playing itself out in my head that I finally got to write down. It didn't come out quite as easily as I'd hoped, and it didn't come out quite how I wanted it to, but I like it so far. I hope you enjoy this one. Let me know if I should continue - I'm still debating it... :) Just a little timeline-ish note: this is after season four, and Junior didn't go to Alaska. -Taylor! xx_

_Disclaimer: **Nope, it's not mine. Damn those writers who think they own every single good television show...**_

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Her feet seemed to pick up speed of their own free will. She was practically running down the drive towards the barn, the cuffs of her long sleeved shirt being balled up in nervous fists. Just as she was about to step over the threshold of the barn, she heard her name being called. Coming to an abrupt halt, she whirled around to find the source, only to find it to be an exasperated looking Jean making her way towards her. Jean slowed when she was a few yards away, and she could see the worry etched into the creases of her aged face. "Kris, thank God. Do you remember that trip that Camp LaGrange scheduled with us for next week?"

Kris thought back quickly, searching. "Yeah..." she replied, albeit hesitantly.

"Apparently I go the dates mixed up with one of the races for the Dirty Dozen; they're coming today," her friend informed her, sounding desperate.

"Dammit." Her face wrinkled in frustration. "I have a schooling race with Nose Ring and Nakaya at 9:15. What time are they coming?"

"Around 9:30. Look, I'm really sorry but I'm shorthanded today because of Julio going with Matt and Pablo to check out that horse in Litchfield. If there was anyone else available to help, I would ask them, but there isn't. Could you-"

"Of course, but they'll have to just watch because there's no other time this week that we can do this. I promise I'll take them out riding right after," she said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Can you just ask one of the guys to get Wildfire, Taz, and Amanda ready for me by 9:45? It would be so helpful. I could get a few kids on them and just give them a quick lesson, right?"

Jean ran a hand through her short cut hair. "I guess so, but you can't just lead them in circles for three hours. Teach them other things, take them on the trail- _anything_. They're the younger ones – they won't stay interested in walking around for hours on end. Remember when you were fourteen? Were you ever interested in that stuff?"

She sighed and bit her lower lip. "No, but I'll think of something. I won't let you down this time."

"I know. I just hope this doesn't go like it did with those girls."

"In my defense, they had some seriously strong wills. I think this time will be a whole lot different," she assured, before stepping away and trotting into the barn. She whistled, just out of habit, only to have the most gorgeous horse head she'd ever seen pop out of his stall, still chewing on a mouthful of hay. She smiled in spite of herself, although it fell after a minute, and hurried over to her best friend. He hadn't changed at all. "Hey Wildfire. There are some kids coming today; I'm kind of nervous. I don't want to let Jean down, or them. I feel like I owe everybody something, but _especially_ Jean. Those girls, though... I don't know what I'm supposed to expect, really. Do they want me to be an advocate? A role model? 'Cause I'm neither of those things. I just wish people would lower their expectations in me a little bit more. Nobody can be a million things all at once, right, buddy? God. What am I gonna do, huh?"

Not as though she actually expected an answer, he tossed his head and snorted quietly. She smiled a little. As she rubbed his nose, he relaxed a bit, melting into familiarity. A few stalls down, Flame stuck his own head out as he stomped and kicked at his stall door. In an instant, she was there, shushing him and pushing his head away from cribbing. "What's gotten into you today? You can't flip out on me now. I have a lot of work. Be good for me, okay?"

As if one queue, the young Hispanic boy working in the barn tapped her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to see him holding onto Nose Ring's lead line. "Oh, uh, thank you. What's your name again?"

"Diego."

"Thank you, Diego," she said, taking the horse from him and walking out of the stables. The big bay stallion bobbed his head as he walked along side her. He hadn't been her favorite out of the rescues because of his stubbornness, attitude, and intense unpredictability. Wildfire was one type of all those, Noser was another. He just didn't know the limits to them. He wasn't very popular among the ranch hands either. He would nip at each in turn if they caught him at a bad time. He could be your best friend one minute, and your worst nightmare the next. On the tracks, he was a dream to ride – smooth, passionate, quick. As a joke, people sometimes called him Man O' War. He was probably one of the nastiest race horses to date, but yet he was second to none on the tracks. Noser wasn't second to none, but he was pretty high up in the rankings.

He was a handful once they stepped out into the crisp, late winter air. He clearly wasn't very fond of the cold, but neither was she. He pulled against Kris's grasp and skidded to the side a little, but she kept him close in attempts to calm his restless emotions. She could see the other practice jockey Bert standing next to Nakaya, helmet on, crop in hand. After another few yards of fighting the constant battle with Nose Ring, they got there in one piece. One of the exercisers gave them a leg up and they stood beside each other. "We're going to go easy on them until the back stretch; only three-quarter speed, 'kay?" she said, taking the extra crop from atop the fence. "Walk him out first; he seems too tired to do much. Don't let him get lazy."

Bert nodded and he and Nakaya walked off towards the first turn. Nose Ring had every intention of following for he took a few steps forward before Kris caught him and turned him in the opposite direction. He pulled against the reigns in vane attempts to get his own way. She flat out refused. Just as she got him semi-calm and Nakaya had turned back around, the infamous blue bus that was forever burned into her memory pulled up the drive, the gravel doing its job in making as much noise as possible. The horse beneath her jerked forcefully and kicked out behind him, blindly. "Easy, boy, easy," she said, spinning him around so he could see it coming. That didn't stop him a bit. He tossed and turned like his hooves were on fire. "Nose Ring," she warned, but he kept going. "It's just a bus; it's not the end of the world. Please."

When it came to a halt and the guard who had accompanied them stepped out, he calmed the slightest bit. He kept in constant motion, and all she could do was hold on and try to walk him out. She glanced over to see Jean gesturing the group over to the railing and Nakaya just a few yards away. "Give me a second to calm him and let them get over here and we can go," she told him as the best beneath her twisted yet again. Finally, after a few gentle pats to the neck, he was back to his same self on the track. "Thank you... Geez."

The girls in the grey sweat shirts and khaki pants loomed closer, most looking bored. She waited semi-patiently until they all stood behind the fencing before introducing herself. "'I'm Kris Furillo; that's Bert Hanson. This is Nose Ring and that's Nakaya. For now, you get to watch a real workout for these guys. We're doing this thing called a schooling race, it's where we give less experienced horses a chance to prove themselves. Nakaya is fairly experienced, but Noser is not. So, yeah," she explained, lamely.

She turned the horse so he was even with his opponent. "Ready... Go," she said, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. They both launched into motion, Nakaya taking the early lead by almost a length. Kris could feel him slacking a little, so with a gentle suggestion with the crop, he took a few steps faster, but fell back to his same pace. "Come on," she said adamantly. He ignored her completely. As they turn the first corner, she leaned as far as she could without falling, trying to get him to pick up his pace. Nothing.

Down the straight away he seemed to realize how far behind he was, for he lengthened his stride and accumulated speed. By the second turn, she could feel him really trying. "Let's go,_ right_ now." The backstretch proved he had so much more to give. His hooves hit the ground so fast, it felt like she was floating. Nakaya got closer and closer until they were neck-and-neck with each other at the finish. She slowed him to a slower canter, then a trot, and finally a walk as they made their way back to the small crowd of people clapping quietly. She smiled at them and slid off the back of the wary horse. She took a hold of the loose reigns under his neck and practically dragged him over to the railing. "Did you guys like that?" she asked, also lamely. They nodded, some actually sincere, others out of obligation. "How would you guys like to ride today? Not like that, but a nice one."

No one really made a move forward, so she raised her eyebrows. "Nobody? Okay, well we can talk for a while until you decide you want to. I figured you came here to ride, but, whatever. So, uh, I went to Camp LaGrange." Some eyes widened. Clearly no one had told them. "I stole a car when I was sixteen. I was in there for sixteen months before I was offered a job here by Pablo, our trainer who isn't here right now. I stole a horse after that because he was going to get sent to a glue factory for slaughter. His name is Wildfire. At the time he was an ex-race horse with a bad attitude sometimes. After I rode him once through the same program you guys are in, we had this... Bond. It was like we were just connected in the best way possible. I couldn't let him get killed just because no one wanted him. So, I took him and caused a stampede in the process. I went back for ninety days. I was lucky, it could have been longer and I could have not had a home here at Raintree, but I did." She paused and looked around at the faces starring back at her. She saw a bit of herself in them, but also saw their own individuality; the piercings, the tattoos, the ethnicity, everything. "And that's why, I'm guessing, they had you come here - to listen to me preach about being a reformed criminal. Look, that's not what I'm trying to do here, I'm just telling you, you _do_ have a chance when you get out, but you have to prove yourself. Coming and living here wasn't always easy, trust me. It's rough, but you get through it."

Kris looked at each of the fifteen-or-so girls in front of her, trying to see if her message got into any of them. She had never had a knack for reading people, and apparently, today was no different. "So, does anybody want to tell me their story?" she asked, but again, no one said a word. Nose Ring tossed his head and stomped once, impatiently. "O-kay... How about you?" She pointed to a girl with an eagle tattoo on her exposed neck.

"I was in a gang. Got caught stealing some shit from a convenience store, then the found out about some of the other stuff I did. I'm in for three years," she explained in what seemed to be a Brooklyn accent. "Kate."

"How about you?" she asked a girl with get black hair and darkly tanned skin.

"I-uh, I was in a fight with some chick and took it a little too far. Let's just say I walked away in handcuffs and she was rolled away on a gurney," she replied with the smallest of smirks.

"You?" It was a small, tan-skinned, brunette with the marks of an eyebrow piercing above and below her left eyebrow, a small stud in her left nostril, and a stud to the right of her lower lip. Some of the girls shifted; a few actually chuckled. "What's so funny? Someone wanna tell me?"

"That's Ezmerelda. She doesn't talk much."

"Actually, she doesn't talk at all. Seriously, I haven't heard her speak once since I met her," Kate explained, sounding slightly amused.

"Ezmerelda, huh? What are you here for?"

She shifted her weight, shuffled her feet, and shook her head.

"You're not gonna talk to me then, I guess. Well congratulations, you get to ride first. You get to ride Noser here." Choosing the exact worst moment, he decided he would do a mini rear and shake his head, defiantly. "He's nice, really," she insisted, noticing the wary look on her face. Come on, you'll be fine." All eyes were on her as she stepped tentatively closer to them. Ezmerelda stopped at the gate and starred at Nose Ring. He seemed to calm a little bit. She took another few hesitant steps forward, and he went back to being a pain, causing the poor girl to stop short. "It's alright, I've got him." She glanced from Kris to Noser before closing the gap between them. The horse eyed her, but slowed his movements to a stop. "Here, I'll give you a leg up."

She simply shook her head. "What? What's wrong?" Kris asked, her eyebrows furrowing. There was a small noise from her mouth, but it was too quiet to be coherent. "Sorry, what?"

"I'm scared," she said so quietly Kris almost missed it again.

"You don't need to be," she replied, equally as quiet. "I'll be right here. And look, he calmed down just for you. You're completely safe here. Okay?"

Slowly, she nodded, eyes still shimmering with fear, but mixed with determination. Kris explained how a leg up works, then helped lift her into the saddle with ease. As she watched her, she could see the fear slowly start to fade away into nothing. There was a ghost of a smile playing her lips as she took the reigns and slipped her feet into the iron stirrups. "So what you're going to do is squeeze your legs to get him to go, pull back the reigns to stop, look where you want to go, open your hands like a door to turn, and look where you want to do. Oh, and try to keep your heels down – it helps your balance," she instructed gently.

All she did was nod, click her tongue, squeeze her heels to Noser's sides and take off at a walk. Kris watched, amazed. Her form was near perfect, even with the stirrups so short from the workout. When she turned him, she had a hard time believing she actually asked him to do it because her hand motions were so limited. _But effective_, she reminded herself. "Why don't you try and trot?" she encouraged. Ezmerelda looked over at her, a little confused. "Just press into his sides, and let him bounce you up and down. It's fun, trust me."

Not willing to argue, she did so, and everybody could see the slight surprise in her face. She hadn't been expecting anything like that. She quickly lost her initial shock and fell into a rhythm she clearly had never experienced before. It was smooth and had the grace of someone who'd been riding their whole lives. She couldn't figure out why she'd been scared to get on in the first place. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jean, Diego, and a few of the exercise riders leading out some of the horses from the barn, Wildfire and Taz leading the pack. "Okay, slow him down so we can get a few more people on." She turned to the rest of the lot. "If you guys could form a line along the fence I can get you guys on horses faster."

They did it, although reluctantly, just as they rest of the horses were being lead onto the track. Kris had Wildfire stand behind her while the others were loosely tethered to the railing. She fired off horse names and pointed to the girls they were assigned. It was a tight fight, but they got all thirteen girls on a horse in less than fifteen minutes. With the guidance and leadership of Kris, they set off around the track at a walk for the first three-quarters, then a trot for the last quarter. Most of them had been riding for awhile, so it was rare she needed to tell them things of common sense. So, they were off to the trails after that, with Wildfire and Nose Ring heading the herd.

"Are you gonna tell me why you went to prison, or am I gonna have to ask the warden?" she joked after a few minutes of riding.

Ezmerelda just kept looking forward. "I stole a motorcycle and because my idiot brother gave me his pot to take to his friend that day I got charged with possession and intent to distribute. I got eighteen months for the grand theft auto and a year for the possession. I got off easy because I had a clean record before."

Kris looked at her carefully. "And how old are you?"

"I'll be sixteen on my court date in two weeks."

"How'd you even know how to drive a motorcycle?"

"Again, my idiot brother taught me. Well, he taught me how to hot wire it first, _then_ he taught me how to ride it. It's funny, he was clean before my sister..." she bit her tongue.

"Before your sister what? I promise I won't say anything if you don't want me to. I can't really judge, either, so you've got nothing to hide from me."

She looked into Kris's eyes for a split second, then looked away. "My sister disappeared two years ago. We don't know why she left or where she went, she just up and left me and my brother with my dad, who's about as useful as crap. He didn't even care enough to go to my trial. My brother can smoke a bong right in front of his face, and he won't care at all. I swear all he does is stare at this stupid TV all freaking day long."

"That's rough, but I know what you mean. I've been there."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, my mom was a drug addict. She came here once, swearing up and down the barn that she was clean, but I caught her high and found the pills in her bag. When I was home, she didn't do anything but go out and get drunk, too, so I pretty much know how you feel."

"Hey, yo, uh, Kris, right?" a girl called from behind them.

Kris raised her eyebrows at Ezmerelda for a second before turning Wildfire 180 degrees to see who had called her. It was the one she knew to be Alison. Beneath her was a stubborn Taz, who stood stark still, head down, trying to eat the dying grass under foot. "What's up?" she asked, urging her best friend to walk up beside them.

"He won't budge."

Kris sighed and reached out to grab the long bit of extra reigns that hung down from Alison's hands. She tapped his sides with it a few times before he got the message and started to move again. "If he does that again, flick them to either side and give him a kick, he'll move right away for you." With that, she returned to the front, where she expected Ezmerelda to be, but she was by herself. She twisted around in her saddle to count the number of girls, but came up with only twelve. She counted again and again, each time coming up with only twelve. "Hey, have any of you seen Ezmerelda?" she called to them. There was a chorus of "no" and a few head shakes. She turned to face front again and swore under her breath. "You've gotta be kidding me," she muttered. She expertly leaned down and plucked her small cell phone out of her half-chap and flipped it open, hitting the number one on her speed dial list. "Junior? It's me. I've got a problem... No, not that kind of problem... No, a girl just took off... Yeah, apparently it's today. Can you please come help me? I don't want to scare Jean... Thanks... Love you, too." With a click, she shut it again.

"Let's stop here for a minute to give the horses a rest guys," she instructed, halting and sliding down from her mount. More for herself than for anyone else she assured, "we'll find her."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hola! It's been a little while, but I sat down at my computer a few hours ago and cranked this one out. Hope you like it! Oh, and by the way, the horses mentioned are the actual names of the Dirty Dozen. -Taylor! xx_

_Disclaimer: **Nope. Not mine. Dammit. There goes my plans for television domination...**_

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There were faint hoof beats coming up from behind. For a split, fleeting moment, Kris feared it was one of the mustangs come to rile up the small herd again. But, upon twisting around, she could see the outline of her husband and current favorite person in the world. She sighed in relief as she guided Wildfire into a 180 degree turn. "Thank God you're here," she called. The girls' heads all snapped in the direction she was looking; some smirked, others ignored him all together. "I don't even know where to start."

"I always told you I wanted to be your knight in shining armor," he replied with his trademarked smile. "As long as I don't actually wear the armor, I'm up for anything. Do you have any idea where she could have gone?"

She ran a hand over her head and bit her lower lip, eyes raking the landscape behind him. "I mean... She probably went that way," she stuck a thumb over her shoulder, "but I'm not sure. Why don't I take half the group that way and you go towards the ridge? We could cover more ground that way."

"My super-sick, extra Junior-sense says that she went that way," he pointed over her shoulder, "so why don't you go off by yourself, and I'll check over there with everybody else. You and Wildfire can go a thousand times faster than all of us can, so go."

"I don't know... Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now go before she gets herself into any more trouble."

That was all the prodding she needed. She spun her companion around and clicked a few times, sending the two of them flying over the uneven turf. They sped past where they had doubled back at, and down the trail she had assumed was her path. "Ezmerelda!" she shouted over the rush of the wind at her face. "Ezmerelda!" She nearly choked as air forced itself down her throat. She pulled back on the reigns enough to get him to slow to a trot. She called the girl's name once again, but received nothing in return but the quiet echo of her voice against the trunks of trees around her. She dropped the leather, cupped her hands around her mouth and tried again. No change.

"Can't you do some special horse-y talk and get Noser to answer you?" she pleaded her horse, a bit mockingly. He snorted, and picked up his pace again. She groped for the reigns back just in time for him to break into a smooth, yet quick, canter. She yelled again and again as they rode down the narrowing path. It wound around endlessly before emptying out into the large, empty field she had once enjoyed relaxing in. She slowed to a walk and scanned the ground for any signs that someone had ridden through. The thick, overgrown, dying grass proved it a difficult task. Nearly halfway, she was about ready to give up on her ground-searching. Out of a stoke of sheer, dumb luck, she spotted half of a hoof print in the dirt of a rare patch of ground, followed by some of the grass being bent forward as if something had knocked it that way. She smiled, triumphantly before setting Wildfire in a dead gallop in the direction her finding had indicated.

Kris could feel a small spark of hope being rekindled in the pit of her almost-empty stomach. It was a welcomed warmth in such cold weather. It was a warmth not even a jacket could provide. It kept her on the tedious yet invigorating ride she was currently riding. Wildfire must have picked up on that hope, for he too seemed to have more energy. His previously snorting breathing was suddenly smooth and easy. He stretched out his head a fraction and emitted an ear-splitting whinny. She laughed a little and egged him on. From some distance in front of them, there was an answering whinny. It was probably a few hundred yards away, but she could feel the excitement of knowing bubbling below the hope.

As the ground rolled around in front of them, a small speck appeared on the cloudy horizon. She pushed for more out of her favorite racer, and received it instantly. His stride spread and his pace seemed to quicken. The speck grew larger with each pounding beat, and after a minute, she could start to make out the figure of a horse running in the same direction, a crouched figure on its back. After another few seconds, she could start to see the hair flying behind the rider's head, and confirmed her suspicions of identity. However fast Nose Ring was, Wildfire was three times that, even during retirement. In seemingly no time at all, they were right behind them. Taking a page out of Tina Sharp's dirty handbook, Kris shouted "whoa, Noser, whoa!" And, sadly, it worked enough for her to be able to reach out, grab the reigns from her hands and pull back.

When both horses where slowed to a walk, Ezmerelda was eyeing the ground, as if trying to decide whether it was worth the jump to run even farther away. "Don't even think about it," the elder said, sternly. "What the _hell_ were you thinking? _Where_ were you planning on going? You don't know the land out here. It's _dangerous_! There are cougars out here." She didn't reply, just turned her head away and starred at the changing view as they were turned in the opposite direction. "Nuh-uh, you're going to talk to me, whether you want to or not. You don't have the right _not_ to speak to you. I'm not a cop; I'm not going to read you your Miranda rights. They don't even apply here. So talk. Now. It's a long way back." Silence. "The warden is just a phone call away."

"I just wanted to get out of here," she mumbled.

"So you steal a horse and take off like someone's trying to kill you?" As soon as the words came out, she felt a pang of guilt. Hadn't she done the same thing with Wildfire, in a way? "Don't you know there are easier ways to work things out? I know it doesn't seem like it, but there are. Now, why exactly did you want to get away for? Jail too good for you?"

"No," she snapped, irritably, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Then what. Clearly I'm not understanding this, so, go on, enlighten me."

"I lied."

"Okay, there's a start. What did you lie about?"

"How I got put in jail. My brother didn't give me any pot, and he didn't make me steal a bike. I got caught with a stolen motorcycle riding from California to Mexico to visit my cousin Raúl. He's the one who had the pot. He gave me a whole lot to smuggle across the border and a fake driver's license to get me away from the cops in Mexico. Once I hit the border, I was toast. I got charged with grand theft auto, a misdemeanor for the ID, and possession of a whole lot of pot with intent to sell. There was a crap load of other misdemeanors the brought up in court, so I got a lot longer than I should've."

"Misdemeanors? Like...?"

"Like: battery, which is complete bull crap, loitering, petty theft, shoplifting, trespassing, vandalism... Just about every misdemeanor you can get aside from prostitution. It's what happens when you grow up in the wrong side of town. Having my sister disappear didn't exactly help, either," she explained, sounding bored. "And my deadbeat of a father couldn't care less. Some family, huh?"

"I grew up without my dad. My mom used to tell me how much of an asshole he was to us anyway. Apparently I was the mistake. When I found _my_ brother, things just got worse and worse really fast. He's good to me, though, he just... Was in with the wrong people. He's only my half brother anyway. But... I get it. I know what you're going through. Trust me."

"That's just it," she muttered.

"What's 'it'?"

"I _can't_."

Kris was silent, staring straight ahead. Ezmerelda unfolded her arms and examined her fingernails in a defensive manor. They didn't dare to look at each other for even a glance. By the time either could work up the courage, they weren't far behind the other group. Kris wolf-whistled, mockingly, and Junior whipped himself around. He grinned at the sight of the two of them and gestured to the rest of the girls to follow him. "Where was she?"

"Almost to the creek. Noser got faster, though. I've never seen him run that fast before."

Beside her, although she couldn't see, Ezmerelda's cheeks had gone pink and she fiddled with Nose Ring's ebony mane. He raised his eyebrows at his wife, sort of amused and surprised at the same time. "Has the unstoppable Kris Furillo actually been beaten? And by a teenager? I dunno, Kris, you might be losing your touch," he joked.

Her mouth hung open. "Shut up, I can beat you driving any day of the week."

"Name the time and place, babe; I'll be there."

The girls collectively rolled their eyes, but it didn't go unnoticed by the ex-con. "See girls? This could be your future right here. Just stay clean and work at a racing farm. But anyway, why don't we head back and you can squeeze in a little time in the ring. Remember to distance yourself a horse's length between each other so nobody gets kicked in the face."

When they returned, Kris set the majority of the girls up in the largest ring Raintree had, while she pulled Ezmerelda off for a while. With her direction, Junior was ordered to be in charge of giving them instructions as they walked around the large circle. She figured he'd been around horses long enough to know how to tell people to walk, trot, and change direction. She tied Nose Ring and Wildfire to the post of Wildfire's favorite little pen as she invited Ezmerelda to sit on the fence with her. Ezmerelda mumbled a disgruntled "fine" and clambered to sit next to her.

"What." It wasn't even a question, rather a statement of her noticing an underlying cause.

"I wanted to talk to you, seriously, for a minute." When she didn't say anything in return, she continued. "I see something in you that I don't see in everybody else here."

She snorted.

"No, I'm serious." She played with the cuffs of her shirt. "I see raw talent. I may not be the most perceptive person in the world, but I'm absolutely positive that you have some serious skills. Like, when you were riding Noser out in that field, your crouch was a little sloppy, but you had him running faster than I could get him to do. N- I don't know if he just responds to you differently, or if he likes you better, or if he's just lazy around me, but you made him do things out of the ordinary. He's usually pretty nasty to people, which is understandable when you consider where he's coming from, but still. He calmed down right away when you were on him."

She didn't speak, or reply. Her eyes gazed out over the horses grazing in a nearby pasture to the trees at the far edge. Kris sighed. She was growing tired of the silent treatment. "Look, I don't really give a rat's ass where you come from, or anything that happened to you before because that's not of my damn business, but what is my business is when you show up here, when I'm in charge of you, trying to help you out a little, and you flat out refuse to listen to me. This whole silent crap is really starting to piss me off. Now, either you can either get on that horse, or you can get on the bus over there and go back to jail. It's your choice."

This left Ezmerelda in an empty silence for a few seconds before she shot her a not-so-discrete glare, untied Noser's reigns, and climbed onto his back. Kris hid a small, smug smile, before pushing herself off the fence and opening the gate. The horse and rider walked into the pen gracefully, then the rider looked at her, expectantly. "Get off," she instructed as she closed the gate behind her.

"Ex_cuse_ me?" Kris walked towards the horse, arms crossed.

"Get down." She furrowed her brows a little, but slid off all the same. "Now get back up."

"But you just told me to-"

"I know. Get up."

She mouthed a rather fresh 'o-kay'. She was offered a leg up, which she took, and slipped up onto the back of the expectant colt.

"Now what?"

She took a few steps away and bit her thumb nail through her shirt. "Show me your crouch."

"My what?"

"When you had him running at full speed, show me how you were riding." She stood up in the stirrups, knees bent, head just above the neck, but sticking up in the air like a flag. "Keep your butt down. Yeah, like that. Keep your reigns short. No, shorter. Good. Now keep that position and have him walk around." She watched in amusement as she attempted not to break her poise while she attempted to get Noser to walk forward. "Squeeze with your whole leg, not just with your heel. See? There he goes. Go around once, then get him to trot. Keep your butt down."

As they walked around the circle, Kris fully enjoyed herself calling out annoying, yet useful reminders about her posture. "Heels down," "elbows in," "butt down," and "eyes up" were among the more popular choices. She could see Ezmerelda growing increasingly frustrated as she began to use her full name. "Ezmerelda, keep your flipping butt down," she said, her tone mockingly exasperated.

"I hate that name," she snapped. "Just call me Ezme."

"Okay; Ezme, keep your flipping butt down." That got her an indignant huff of annoyance, but that did little to harm her fun. "Okay, good. Now get him to trot. No, not with your heels. You have to use your whole legs, your hands, your eyes, and even your butt."

"My butt?"

"Yes, the thing you sit on. If you tell him to trot, squeeze, and lean forward a little bit, you'll get him to move. Yes! Just like that. Now, keep your butt down. You never know when a horse might come up and bite you there. Good. Hands down lower... Lower. Yeah, right there. Awesome. Ask him for a canter?" Amazingly, she got him to do it on the first try. "See? Even your butt."

Before they knew it, the warden was gesturing for them all to wrap it up. Kris had seen so much improvement in her little project that she had high hopes for the outcome of her upcoming court date. "Okay, bring him in, Ezme," she called her out of her trot. "We don't want to overwork him, and plus, it's almost time for you to go anyway." She pulled him back to a walk, directing him to the center, where she glided down, legs a little shaky from her extensive riding session. "Good work today," she praised, honestly. "I haven't seen anyone take to riding like that since Todd." At her confused look, she clarified. "The Ritter's youngest son. He's at boarding school right now."

"Ah. Thanks."

"If you need, I can put in a good word for you over there. They like me. They call me their little success story."

"Uh, thanks, but no thanks. I'm good on my own," she assured, handing off the reigns."

"You'll learn pretty quick that you're not. And by the way, you get to clean him off, not me. Come on, let's go."

Kris took Wildfire and had Ezmerelda and Nose Ring follow them into the barn, where they were both untacked, and the elder showed her how to "properly" groom a horse. In actuality, it was "how to groom a horse thoroughly in under five minutes". After their quick little grooming session, she showed her which pasture to let him loose in before letting Wildfire preside in the pen they had just been riding in. Just before the line up to get on the bus assembled, she turned to her. "Look, if you ever need anything, or just need to talk, just call me." She handed her a little slip of paper with her phone number scribbled on it.

Ezme looked from her to the piece of paper and gave the smallest smile she'd ever seen. "Thanks. Maybe I will."

Officer Barcley gave Kris a questioning look. "Just my phone number, don't worry."

"I know everything that goes on in my barracks, Furillo. Remember that," she said.

"I will. Bye." She waved them off as they were loaded onto the dismal bus for the depressing ride back to prison. The second they were gone, she practically tackled Junior to the ground. He, who had been walking into the barn to let the rest of the horses out, nearly jumped out of his skin. Upon seeing who it was, however, he pulled her close and spun her around. She laughed. "Do you realize how much I owe you right now?"

"So much that I don't have to get lucky tonight? That it'll just happen?"

She punched him in the bicep, lightly. He rubbed it, making a mock hurt face. "Yeah, just about that much. You are a savior right now."

"You know, no matter how many times you say it, I never get tired of hear that. Say it again?"

"You are," she paused, squaring her feet with her shoulders and grabbing him by the collar, "my savior."

He sighed, staring off into space airily, jokingly. "I know."

"Shut up." She stood on her toes and planted her lips on his. When he begged for more, she pulled back. "Okay, so can you put Flame, Lancelot's Ghost, Dragon, and Kobatta in with nose Ring, then Pretzel with Lappo, Daining Range, Anando, Nakaya, and Lucky Lure? Please?" she pouted, doing her best imitation of a kicked puppy.

He bit his lip in attempts to stay strong and say no, but he couldn't even look her in the eyes. "Fine, but you still owe me. Big time."

She pecked his lips again. "Thank you. I have to talk to Jean. I'll be in the house if you need me." She trotted off in that direction before he could say another word, and he just watched her go. She awkwardly hopped onto the porch and waltzed right through the door. "It's me," she called through the seemingly empty house.

"Oh, Kris, great. Have they left yet?" came Jean's relieved reply from the dining room.

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago." She made her way through the kitchen to the dining room, where she found Jean sitting at the table, a stack of papers in front of her. Her hair was disheveled and she looked completely beat, but with so much paperwork, it was understandable. "Junior's putting the horses out."

She looked up, confused. "Junior's here?"

Kris bit her lip. "Uh, yeah. I called him actually. I needed some help with the kids. There was just a lot of them and some were a little more, uh, advanced than others. I figured he was qualified enough to have them trot around the ring for a little while."

Jean gave her a "fair enough" look and returned to her paperwork. "So, what's up, then? What brings you in here?"

Her eyebrows knitted together, teeth chomping down on that lip again. "Wha- How did you-"

She looked up again and smiled brightly. "Kris, I've known you for a long time. I like to think I know when something's on your mind. Sit down. Tell me, what is it? Everything okay?"

She sunk down into the chair opposite her surrogate mom's. "I, uh," she started, lamely. "I was just wondering if you needed any extra hands here. I know you said that it gets pretty tight around here when Pablo and Matt are away, so I just..."

"Thought we could use a set of extra hands?" she supplied. She nodded. "Well, money's a little tight, but I suppose we could use the help. So, who did you have in mind?"

"I-I didn't have anyone in mind, per say," she began, jerkily. "But if you needed a suggestion, I might, possibly, know someone who you could hire. She's a natural with horses. She's hardworking, she's got one hell of a strong will, and she needs a chance."

"You're not describing yourself are you?"

She shook her head, eyebrows furrowing again. Was that how Pablo described her when he asked Jean to hire her?

"Well, who is it then?"

"It's one of the girls from Camp LaGrange," she spat out, quickly. "But-but she's a natural rider. I swear, I haven't seen anyone learn so fast since Matt started teaching Todd how to ride when he was still here. She's not a bad kid. She-"

"Kris," Jean cut off her ramblings. "I'll think about it. I don't know if we'll be able to board her here, but-"

"Well, I could let her stay at mine and Junior's place. I mean, we have plenty of room now."

"I wouldn't want to impose..."

"No, no, it wouldn't be imposing. Honest."

She looked thoughtful for a minute. "Some of her pay will have to come out of yours. I mean, not even half, just a small fraction, but still. How old is she?"

"She'll be sixteen in two weeks."

"She'd have to go to school, you'd have to get temporary custody of her, or at least get parental consent. It'll be a whole mess of legal jargon. Are you sure you and Junior are ready to house a teenage girl? It's a big responsibility." She eyed the younger woman, warily.

"How hard could it be? I mean, all I'd have to do is feed her and give her a place to crash right?"

"And make sure all her school work is done, and take her to doctors appointments, and dentist appointments-"

Kris nodded, exaggeratedly. "Okay, okay, I get it, it's going to be a lot of work. But seriously, this could work. I know it will."

Jean sat back in her chair and studied the woman before her. She could see the trust and faith in the girl she hadn't met but a few hours before. It was almost an identical look to the one Pablo gave her so many years ago. "Okay. But this is only temporary. If it doesn't work out, she's going straight back home."

Kris jumped up and ran around the table to hug her. After a second, realization of her action dawned on her and she slowly released her. "Thank you so much, Jean. I swear I won't let you down this time."

In a few minutes, she ran from the house to the barn, once again nearly tackling her husband. "You seriously need to stop doing that," he laughed, turning around to face her. "What's going on? I know that look. I can see it in your eyes. What did you just drag me into?"

"How would you feel about a teenage girl living with us for awhile?" she asked, innocently.

He chuckled, then realized she was serious. "You're kidding," he insisted.

"Court date 's in two weeks. We've got a lot of work to do, Junior."


End file.
